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Our dog is from a “kill shelter” (the city pound). Everyone remarks that she’s the best dog they’ve ever known, to the point where they’re envious of us. Many of those people paid significant fees to buy their pedigreed puppies, and the reason given is always that they wanted to be sure they knew what kind of a dog temperament they were getting. I point out that one of the advantages of adopting from a shelter/pound is that the dogs aren’t newborn puppies….they are old enough to really exhibit their personalities and temperaments and you can spend time with them to figure out if they’re a good fit for your home (and vice versa). There are tests you can do on puppies to get a sense of how docile or attentive they are, but it’s not the same thing.

End result is that we have a dog who — as you said — enjoys her new lease on life. She’s in the right home for her. It’s just so easy to make a dog happy, especially one who has already experienced other options which aren’t as nice.

Oh, again we go here: no such thing as a no-kill shelter the same way as no such thing as a no-kill veterinary hospital. Merciful euthanasia for humane reasons to end irremediable suffering of our companion animals is regrettably acceptable. “No-kill” does sound better than “very-little-killing-goes-on-here” shelter, so carry on demonizing the ordinary “only-kill-what-we-must” shelters..

Our pound (major city) has a very clear schedule for dogs and cats that come in. There is a required holding period (to check the animal out medically and wait to see if the owner comes forward), then a required “show” period of only a couple of weeks, and then the animal is killed. Period.

That’s a kill shelter.

“Merciful euthanasia for humane reasons to end irremediable suffering of our companion animals is regrettably acceptable.”

This is a bad thing? I am flabbergasted. What would be JOYFULLY acceptable for you in the case of irremediable suffering?

This can never be a happy story as long as kill “shelters” exist, an oxymoron if there ever was one.
Over the years I’ve had several cats, four of them right now. They’ve all been rescues, with the exception of two, born to a rescue that I spayed a few months after the litter.
I can’t do more than four at a time at home, so I also contribute to ASPCA on a monthly basis, and it infuriates me to the point of bitterness that kill “shelters” exist.

Our local Humane Society is a “kill shelter,” but the people who work there love the animals very much and absolutely hate that they have to do this part of the job from time to time. However, if they did not, there would be no room for the other animals that people give up for whatever reason. If people did not give up their pets, or always spayed/neutered their pets, or did not seek out pets from breeders, etc., then there would be no need for “kill shelters.” (And this is not to mention the sick, dying creatures who are in pain and who also live there.) It is very unfortunate and horribly sad, but it seems like people who hate the idea of these places do not always take all of these factors into account.

This is a gorgeous photo of a beautiful dog enjoying life. The dog might not have had this chance if some good person hadn’t decided to adopt a pet from this place. And that is a good thing.